GIS based earthquake vulnerability assessment : a case study of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, Nepal | |
| Author | Malla, Diva |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.RS-07-11 |
| Subject(s) | Earthquake hazard analysis--Geographic information systems--Nepal Geographic information systems--Nepal |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Nepal is located within the Himalayan mountain range and is highly susceptible to earthquakes. The last big earthquake (Magnitude = 8.4) that hit Nepal was in 1934. Historic record has shown that earthquake of this size occurs approximately in every 75 years, indicating that a devastating earthquakes are expected to strike the kingdom in future. Rural to urban migration is a continuous process in Nepal. The population of Kathmandu valley has reached 1.5 million (2006) and it is growing at 6% per annum. Thus, the population in the valley has become extremely vulnerable to multi-hazards and earthquakes in particular. If a large earthquake like that of 1934 strikes the valley in future, it will have devastating impact due to unplanned growth. This study aims at analyzing building vulnerability assessment in a small area located in the Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City (LSMC) of the Kathmandu valley. The earthquake scenarios considered for this study are the frequently occurring North Bagmati earthquake with intensity zone of VII, Mid Nepal earthquake (similar to 1934 earthquake) with intensity zone of VIII and a hypothetical earthquake intensity zone of IX. The first part of the study identifies the probability of collapse or partial damage of the buildings depending on their existing conditions for three different earthquake scenarios. Results showed high probability of building collapse in intensity IX, with buildings made of adobe, brick in mud and brick in cement. Results from this part were used in the remaining analysis of the study. The second part focuses on the estimation of casualty based on building collapse or damage. It estimates the number of people expected to be affected in different time periods for various earthquake intensities. The severity of injuries is also categorized into four types. This analysis showed that being a predominantly residential area, more people would be affected if an earthquake strikes at night time. The last part of the study estimates the road blockage based on the building collapse. Results showed the roads on top and left part of the study area are prone to higher road blockage, and being an old settlement area and most of the buildings are made of adobe and brick in mud. This analysis will be helpful in planning the evacuation and rescue operations in an event of an earthquake. |
| Year | 2007 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Information and Communications Technologies (DICT) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Remote Sensing (RS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Hazarika, Manzul Kumar;Chen, Xiaoyong; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Arambepola, N.M.S.I.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | AIT Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2007 |